Thank you to all who attended the survey debrief sessions and provided input on the key medical staff engagement drivers identified in the survey. Close to 40 providers attended, three board members and four Executive Leadership Council members. Ideas from the forums are being collated by INTEGRATED Healthcare Strategies, the research firm that conducted the survey. Here is the survey recap:

269 providers responded to the survey, including 49 employed, 83 contract and 137 independent providers. We want to thank you for taking time to help us better understand how we can improve and build a health care organization everyone can be truly proud of.

Employed provider engagement is higher than the national average while contract provider engagement is within range of the national average. However, independent provider engagement is significantly lower than the national average.

In exploring provider engagement by age, results show that on average, the older the provider, the higher their level of engagement.

Overall perceptions of the Epic system, making patient care more efficient and Salem Health's provision of Epic-related training opportunities, performed remarkably well.

The competitiveness and fairness of provider compensation and benefits, asked only of employed and contract providers, ranked high.

Items in most need of improvement focus on the relationship between providers and the Executive Leadership Council, in particular the strength and health of communication.

Among surgeons, items focusing on operating room availability, scheduling and turnover times underperformed significantly compared to the national average.

Key drivers of engagement, items that most impact provider engagement at Salem Health, have been determined for our three provider populations. Improving communications between providers and the Executive Leadership Council will offer the most return on building and sustaining provider engagement, regardless of employment status, according to INTEGRATED Healthcare Strategies.

Through our survey results, we identified three powerful "systemic" issues that will enhance our provider engagement. These include the Executive Leadership Council being more open with providers while making more effort to gather provider input before making decisions. In addition, establishing better ways to clearly define and articulate our goals as a health care organization also surfaced.

Overall, we are very happy with the benchmarking this survey provided. With the help of INTEGRATED Healthcare Strategies we will begin developing next steps and will keep you updated as we get closer to formulating how our action plans will be developed.

The phone number for the physician check-in line remains the same, 503-561-8470, but the ID number you enter to access your messages and check in will now be your six digit SMS number (located on the back of your badge). This change is noted in the welcome recording.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Salem Hospital medical team have a shared goal to reduce the incidence of Clostridium difficile (CDI) by 50 percent in the next five years. In a helpful presentation, now available for you on HealthStream, Deborah Eisenhut, MD, and Steven Marvel, MD, call C. difficile the US version of the Ebola epidemic. C. difficile is the most common microbial cause of health care-associated infections (HAI) in US hospitals. Its spores are viable on dry surfaces for months, making it very challenging to combat. Incidence and control of CDI is highly correlated with behavior in prescribing antibiotics as well as careful de-gloving and vigorous handwashing.

To watch the full presentation of C. difficile and Ebola: Parallel Behavioral Diseases, log into HealthStream.

Proposed revisions to the to the Credentials Procedure ManualA change has been proposed to the "provisional" staff status as outlined in the Credential Procedure Manual. Medical staff have the opportunity to review and weigh in on the proposed change before it is implemented. Read the proposal and email Kelli Fussell if you have any concerns or questions.

Magnet designation is important to Salem Hospital because it reflects who we are and what we do every day. It helps us attract and retain exceptional people, like you, with a focus on delivering quality care and outcomes for our patients.

If you have questions about Magnet, please do not hesitate to contact Margo Halm at 503-561-5736.

Several times a year, Willamette Master Chorus performs special concerts honoring a specific constituency. The Concert for Life will honor those who have been affected by cancer. The music performed will include a world premier by Academy Award-winning composer Dave Metzger and features verse written by a Salem area cancer survivor. Also performing is Carol Ann Manzi, a world renowned opera star and cancer survivor herself, accompanied by the Salem Chamber Orchestra.

These touching and unique performances will honor and support both those who have fought cancer and those who have cared for them. Tickets are available for both concerts (Saturday, May 2 at 7 p.m. or Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m.) by visiting absolutelytix.com or calling 503-302-9196. This concert is made possible by a generous donation from Drs. Bud and Selma Pierce.

Select class headlines to download a flier to print and share with your patients. For more information and to register visit the CHEC website or call 503-814-2432 (CHEC).

Freedom From Smoking
Designed for adults who want to quit smoking, the American Lung Association's gold standard program has helped thousands of smokers quit for good.
Date: Mondays, May 4 to June 15
Time: 3 to 5 p.m.
Cost: $120

Fathers of Young Children
This four-week series provides a supportive environment for fathers to build confidence and discuss ways to build healthy father/child relationships.
Date: Mondays, May 4 to 25
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $25

Healthy Back Class
Offered by the Salem Spine Center, this class is taught by an experienced physical therapist. In this class, participants will learn how to keep their back strong and decrease risk of injury as well as easy-to-follow strength and flexibility exercises.
Date: Thursday, May 7
Time: 1 to 2 p.m.
Cost: $5

NAMI Family Support Group
For family and friends who care about someone with a mental illness.
Date: 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month
Time: 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Free